Wednesday, February 16, 2011

LEATHERFACEMush - (1992)Recorded at the Greenhouse in London in May 1991, Mush captures the original Leatherface lineup of Frankie Stubbs (vocals/guitar), Steve Charlton (bass), Andrew Laing (drums), and Richie 'Dickie' Hammond (guitar, backing vocals). Originally released in Britain on the Fire subsidiary Roughneck, the album was licensed by Seed Records (an offshoot of Atlantic) in an attempt to pick up on some of that Nirvana action. Sadly, the label never bothered to promote it, and Mush -- one of the most intense records of the '90s, with some of the fiercest playing and song dynamics -- was passed over. Ever since, however, word of mouth has kept interest in the record alive -- so much so that, nearly ten years later, it's considered one of the best albums of the decade. Furthermore, in "I Want the Moon" Leatherface had written at least one bona fide punk-rock classic. The fact that it's one of only a handful of easily obtainable Leatherface releases makes Mush the obvious starting point for anyone wishing to check out this cult outfit.